M51 Whirlpool Galaxy
M51 Whirlpool Galaxy
This is a grand design spiral galaxy with an interacting neighbor being tugged into it’s spiral arms (NGC 5195). M51 never sets for me in the northern hemisphere, making this circumpolar target fun to image with it’s bright arms and hostile takeover of it’s smaller buddy.
Equipment
Telescope: Celestron Edge HD 8″ & .7x Reducer (1422mm focal length)
Filters: ZWO RGB Filters
Main Camera: ZWO ASI 6200mm-pro Monochrome
Tilt & BackFocus Adjuster: ASG Photon Cage
Mount: iOptron CEM 120EC
Guide Scope: OAG
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI 290mm-mini
Location
Location: Pendleton, Oregon
Observatory: NexDome 2.4m Automated
Bortle: 3
Long & Lat: 45.67N, -118.79 W
Shoot Parameters
Date: April 24th, 2023
R: 12 x 300 seconds
G: 12 x 300 seconds
B: 12 x 300 seconds
Total Integration time ~3 hrs
Calibration Bias: 20
Calibration Dark: 20
Calibration Flats: 20 for each filter
Gain: 100
Cooling: -10
Processing Software: Captured using NINA, Stacked in Astro Pixel Processor, Processed in PixInsight & PS
